Public`s Sympathy Lifts Grieving Family

MIRAMAR — An outpouring of sympathy from hundreds of people, many of them strangers, has overwhelmed James Diersing since his daughter died in an auto collision Saturday.

``The amount of things that have been delivered to this house is just awesome,`` Diersing said Thursday.

Every 10 minutes, it seems, the doorbell rings with another delivery. The living room of Diersing`s home in the 7900 block of Shalimar Street is filled with flowers, cards, fruit baskets and trays of food.

Marilyn Diersing, 18, the oldest of James and Marlene Diersing`s two daughters, died less than two hours after her car collided head-on with a car driven by a burglary suspect fleeing from police at speeds approaching 100 mph.

The unexpected show of support has comforted the family in the tough hours since Marilyn`s death, Diersing said. But Diersing`s grief has been mixed with anger that grows each day as police investigating the crash gather more information.

The car that collided with Marilyn Diersing`s 1980 Dodge Challenger was stolen, Pembroke Pines police Detective Keith Palant, the lead investigator in the case, said Thursday.

Two of the passengers in the stolen Dodge Aries K car, Fred Webster, 39, and Samuel Lampley, 41, both of Miami, have been charged with burglary and grand theft.

The driver, Lawrence U. Hargrett, 41, who was killed in the crash, had been convicted in 1971 of first-degree murder and manslaughter in unrelated cases and was on life parole since his release from prison in 1982.

By Sunday, a day after the accident, Diersing had learned that the three men were suspected of fleeing the scene of a burglary.

``If they weren`t out breaking the law, we wouldn`t be here talking today,`` Diersing had said.

By Wednesday, Diersing had learned more about Hargrett`s criminal record, which Palant said was 23 pages long.

``Why was this cold-blooded killer on the streets?`` Diersing asked.

As he searched for an answer to that question, the doorbell rang. ``Someone sent over a basket with a giant ham and turkey in it,`` he said.

And his emotions took another swing from anger and frustration to fresh tears of gratitude.

``I`m making lists on legal pads of sympathy cards. Just from today, I filled up one legal pad completely,`` he said.

More than 500 people came to his daughter`s viewing on Monday.

``There were strangers who came and said, `You don`t know us, (but) we read the story, and it really touched us,` `` said Diersing.

There were about 100 cars in the funeral procession Tuesday.

``It was a torrential downpour,`` Diersing said. ``It couldn`t have been worse and at a day when most people are supposed to be at work.

``They showed that type of support and admiration for my family and daughter. One fellow came up with the old cliche that the good die young, and that was certainly true in my daughter`s situation.``

Among those to attend the funeral were Marilyn`s third-grade teacher and principal at Sunshine Elementary School in Miramar.

And Diersing, owner of a Miami bowling pro shop, said friends in his bowling league were establishing a college scholarship fund at Miramar High School, where Marilyn graduated June 22.

An Aug. 3 tournament is being arranged at Parkway Bowling Lanes in Miramar. Funds from that tournament and other contributions will be directed to the Marilyn Diersing Scholarship Fund, 1024 SE Fifth Ave. Apt. 402, Dania, Fla. 33004.

Telephone calls have been coming to the Diersing home from people who did not know Marilyn or her family.

``One Spanish man called from Miami, and he said that he knows what I`m going through because he lost an 18-year-old son in January and he would get back with me in a week and maybe we could have coffee and talk.``

Diersing said he was particularly moved by a call from Lorri Gregory, 57, of Sunrise.

``Why I called this poor family is I`m in a similar situation,`` Gregory said. ``My daughter, Christine Evelyn Gregory, was killed Feb. 4, 1985. Although it`s going to be six months for my daughter, she still left a 4-year- old son.``

Johnny Lee Jones was charged with murder in the Gregory case, accused of causing a fatal wreck while driving a stolen truck, the Broward County State Attorney`s Office said. His trial is scheduled for Monday.

Neil Dupree, felony trials supervisor for the State Attorney`s Office, said Jones has three prior felony convictions, two for burglary, the other for robbery.

Jones had been released from prison Jan. 2, 1985, the day of Christine Gregory`s 25th birthday. Just over a month later, the fatal crash occurred, Dupree said.

Lorri Gregory has often asked why Jones was released from prison. That question struck a nerve with Diersing, who is tormented with the same question about Hargrett.

Hargrett was sentenced to life in 1971 after he was convicted of first-degree murder for shooting the son of a Chinese restaurant owner in Miami on May 10, 1969.

Also in 1971, Hargrett received a 20-year prison sentence to run concurrently with the life sentence after he was convicted of manslaughter for the July 26, 1969, shooting of a Wells Fargo driver in Miami.

Hargrett apparently had not been arrested on either charge until August 1979, said Harry Dodd, state parole services director.

Mandatory sentence guidelines were not in effect when Hargrett committed the crimes. He was released from prison on lifetime parole Nov. 30, 1982, Dodd said.

``There is no option. The law required that consideration for parole be given to him,`` Dodd said. ``The law further provides procedures by which the (parole) commission is to provide this parole consideration.``

So the answer to Diersing`s question of how could this man be released, Dodd said, was ``it happened because of the commission`s following the laws of Florida at the time it reached its decisions.``